Friday, March 11, 2011

A Genealogy Atlas

When I was little one of my favorite things was maps (remember the ones that came in National Geographic issues? Those were my favorites) and that love of maps is something from childhood that I still carry with me. For a long time I've wanted to combine my interest in maps and genealogy in the form of a "genealogy atlas" and while I'm still trying to perfect both the idea and look, I've found a website that has proved helpful. The website, which is very easy to use, was developed through Texas A&M University and is here (note: only US states and counties within states can be color-coded).

States marked in dark blue are where my known direct ancestors lived, either briefly or for generations. States in medium blue (CT, TN, NC) are ones that brick wall ancestors of mine said their parents were from in the 1880 census, but I do not conclusively know how accurate that information is at present.

The next map I did was the same as above except that I included states (in yellow) where collateral lines went that I also research (this doesn't include states where recent collateral lines, like my parents' and grandparents' siblings, live or lived). Screenshot:

My ultimate goal is to one day have an heirloom quality genealogy atlas in book form but this (and Google Maps) are good practice. I especially like the maps above because, even though they aren't very detailed, they are color coded and I think easier for a non-family history buff to use and appreciate. I know RootsMagic produces a program similar (and I think better) than a lot of the free mapping options out there like GoogleMaps. In case you're wondering, the program is called Family Atlas and yes, it is at the top of my wishlist.

Disclosure: I am in no way affiliated with RootsMagic nor did I receive any remuneration or was prompted to write this post by any outside party. I use RootsMagic Essentials, the free and striped down version of RootsMagic and plan to one day upgrade.

About

I'm a 20-something, long-time genealogy enthusiast from Northern California. My paternal ancestry is mostly concentrated in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Ontario, Canada. On my mother's side, I am a 6th generation Californian, with ties further back to many of the lower 48 states.